Congressman Davis’ HEARTH Legislation to Fight Homelessness Signed into Law
Washington,
May 21 -
Washington, D.C. — Congressman Geoff Davis is pleased to announce that President Obama signed the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act into law yesterday. The Congressman attended the signing ceremony at the White House.
During Senate consideration of S. 896, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Kit Bond (R-MO) offered the Senate version of H.R. 1877 as an amendment to the underlying bill and it was accepted. S. 896 passed the Senate on May 5th and then passed in the House on May 19th.
The HEARTH Act amends the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition of “chronic homelessness” to include many of the families with children who are defined as homeless by other federal definitions (such as the definition used in Department of Education homeless youth programs), but currently do not fall under HUD’s definition. The definition also includes stronger language to help individuals who are victims of domestic violence or living in other dangerous or life-threatening conditions.
The new law also identifies and allows for assistance to individuals and families who are “at risk of homelessness,” including those who have insufficient resources to obtain housing stability, live in an unstable or risky situation (including moving frequently, living in the housing of others, facing eviction, living a hotel or motel, among others). It authorizes up to $440 million for homelessness prevention activities and $2.2 billion overall for the homeless assistance grants programs.
Congressman Davis stated, “After working on this bill for the past three years, I am deeply moved that it has become law. These programs have not been reauthorized since 1989 and I am proud to have joined the late Representative Julia Carson in finally bringing this issue to the forefront of the legislative agenda. The HEARTH Act will make substantial and needed improvements to the McKinney-Vento federal homeless assistance programs, especially in terms of helping more homeless families, children and domestic violence victims.
“If we are serious about ending homelessness in the long-term, we cannot ignore the growing problem of homeless children; the HEARTH Act will take significant steps to ensure that children are given the opportunity to grow and learn in a stable home environment. It will also provide increased flexibility and tools for agencies and provider organizations in order to help them better meet the needs to the local homeless populations.
“A roof over one’s head goes a long way, but it is the supportive services, combined with housing, that have the biggest impact on changing a person’s path in life. The homeless assistance grant programs lend a helping hand to people who want to build a future and pursue a dream. This type of federal assistance has a lasting positive impact not only on the recipient, but on our communities as a whole.”
Congressman Geoff Davis introduced the original bipartisan HEARTH Act (H.R. 840) in 2007 with the late Congresswoman Julia Carson (D-IN). In the 110th Congress, similar legislation passed in the House (H.R. 7221), but was not considered in the Senate before the final adjournment of the 110th Congress. Since the 111th Congress convened, Congressman Davis reintroduced the HEARTH Act with H.R. 1877 with Representatives Gwen Moore (D-WI), Judy Biggert (R-IL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Barney Frank (D-MA), Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Andre Carson (D-IN).
S. 896, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act passed in both the House and the Senate with broad bipartisan support. In addition to the HEARTH Act, S. 896 includes a number of different initiatives to help Americans stay in their homes, including providing more funds for housing counseling programs and making improvements to the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and the Hope for Homeowners Program. S. 896 also extends the FDIC deposit insurance limit of $250,000 through 2013. The limit was raised from $100,000 to $250,000 last year, but the provision was set to expire at the end of 2009.
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